This Raisin Pecan Bread recipe is an artesian style loaf that is hard on the outside, soft on the inside and loaded with warm cinnamon, plump raisins, and toasted pecans.
This raisin pecan bread is about to change your life. It is sweet, nutty, with a hard exterior and a soft and fluffy interior that is packed with flavor you could just eat it by itself.
Just looking at this recipe you might think it takes forever to make, but in reality, it just needs to rest. Ideally overnight for 12 – 18 hours. So simply put it together the day before you want to eat it, let it rest overnight, bake it the next morning, and voila!
Table of Contents
Why We Love This Recipe
- You only need 7 ingredients!
- It’s SO easy to make.
- No kneading is required.
Variations
Nuts – I love pecans in this recipe but if you prefer walnuts or something else you can swap it out.
Raisins – I prefer classic raisins when it comes to baking for this bread and my Soft Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. However, you can also use golden raisins or any other type you prefer.
Recipe Ingredients
Cinnamon – That warm cinnamon flavor compliments the pecans and raisins adding in a depth of flavor.
Pecans – I love baking with pecans. They offer this little crunch of texture in this bread and in my Browned Butter Toffee Pecan Bites.
Raisins – These shriveled grapes add a chewy, fruity, burst of flavor into this artisan bread.
For a full list of ingredients and amounts, see the recipe card below.
How to Make Raisin Pecan Bread
Step 1: Whisk the flour, salt, cinnamon and yeast in a medium bowl. While stirring with a wooden spoon, gradually add the water, stir until incorporated. Toss in the raisins and pecans, mix the dough gently and form into a rough ball.
Step 2: Transfer to a large clean (ungreased) bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let dough rise in a draft-free area at room temperature until surface of dough is covered with tiny bubbles and the dough has more than doubled in size (This usually takes about 18 hours or so, however, it still turns out great with just 12 hours of rise time).
Step 3: When the dough is ready, place a Dutch oven into the oven and turn it on to 450 degrees. Allow it to heat in the oven for 30 minutes.
Step 4: Meanwhile, transfer the dough to a large square of parchment paper (big enough to cover the bottom of your Dutch oven). Lightly dust the dough with flour, cover it with plastic wrap and allow it to rest for 30 minutes. Using a sharp knife, at a 90 degree angle, score an X on the top of the loaf. Each score mark should be about 3 1/2 inches long and about ¼” deep. Using a mister, spray bottle, clean toothbrush or pastry brush, lightly mist (or brush) the top of the bread with water.
Step 5: Carefully remove Dutch oven from the oven. Place the shaped dough into it, cover and return to the oven to bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for an additional 8-12 minutes or until the top is nice and dark (but not burnt). Remove from the oven and transfer the loaf bread to a cooling rack. Allow it to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing to prevent a gummy crumb.
FAQs
If your bread didn’t rise correctly here are a couple reasons as to why. First, the yeast could be expired and therefore would effect how it rises. Second, not enough time to rise. For this loaf, it needs at least 12 hours but would benefit from 18 hours in total.
I love eating this bread by itself, with butter, honey, cream cheese, or even my Cranberry Orange Sauce.
Storage Information
You can store this bread in an airtight container on your counter for 3-4 days. If you want to freeze this bread, you can do so in an airtight container for up to 1 month.
It is not recommended to store this bread in the fridge because it actually speeds up the process that makes bread hard and stale.
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Raisin Pecan Bread Recipe
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Ingredients
- 3 1/4 cup all-purpose flour - OR bread flour
- 1 3/4 tsp coarse kosher sea salt
- 1 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 1/2 cup +2 tbsp warm water
- 1/2 cup raisins - fresh is best
- 1/2 cup toasted pecans - coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Whisk the flour, salt, cinnamon and yeast in a medium bowl. While stirring with a wooden spoon, gradually add the water, stir until incorporated. Toss in the raisins and pecans, mix the dough gently and form into a rough ball.
- Transfer to a large clean (ungreased) bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let dough rise in a draft-free area at room temperature until surface of dough is covered with tiny bubbles and the dough has more than doubled in size (This usually takes about 18 hours or so, however, it still turns out great with just 12 hours of rise time).
- When the dough is ready, place a Dutch oven into the oven and turn it on to 450 degrees. Allow it to heat in the oven for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, transfer the dough to a large square of parchment paper (big enough to cover the bottom of your Dutch oven). Lightly dust the dough with flour, cover it with plastic wrap and allow it to rest for 30 minutes. Using a sharp knife, at a 90 degree angle, score an X on the top of the loaf. Each score mark should be about 3 1/2 inches long and about ¼" deep. Using a mister, spray bottle, clean toothbrush or pastry brush, lightly mist (or brush) the top of the bread with water.
- Carefully remove Dutch oven from the oven. Place the shaped dough into it, cover and return to the oven to bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for an additional 8-12 minutes or until the top is nice and dark (but not burnt). Remove from the oven and transfer the loaf bread to a cooling rack. Allow it to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing to prevent a gummy crumb.
This is better than Whole Food’s $8 loaf. Confession—-I did add 1/4 cup brown sugar 😃
How is this possible? My entire life (ok, 5 years) as a home bread maker is over. No kneading. No folding. No building gluten. Just toss stuff in a bowl, stir, and bake???
I really didn’t think this was going to work at all but, dang if it don’t make good bread!
The crumb is a bit chewy but the overall structure is nice. I might have needed to keep the bread in the oven another 5 minutes to get a little of the chewy out.
I’m going to make this again but follow a more traditional ‘no knead’ process with multiple folds, a bulk rise, and a more controlled proof to see if/how it affects the texture.
I am glad I stumbled on this recipe; thanks for posting.
Hi. This looks delicious! I’m wanting to make little triangular tea sandwiches (with smoked turkey and chive cream cheese ala Ina Garten). Need to start with big square slices. Would it work to bake it in a regular 9×5 loaf pan? What adjustments are needed? Thanks
Hi Margaret, I haven’t done this before, but here is a resource that should help: https://breadtopia.com/faq/can-i-bake-an-artisan-style-bread-recipe-in-a-loaf-pan/
Followed recipe exactly and had just downsized to a 4.5qt Dutch oven for smaller meals in general so this was perfect. Bread didn’t spread like it had with larger Dutch oven. Came out perfect! Thank you! Look forward to making orange cranberry version soon.
Hi Theresa, thanks for the review and sharing your adaptations!